Camera Lenes

[SleeperGT]

Dokie okie...I wanna get a decent Digital SLR. I like the Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1. The body can be had for 260 bucks. Wondering where I should start for lenses.

Ok to answer your next question...what kind of shots are you going to shoot there Ron? Nothing specific. Random everyday going down the road...pull the car over...take a shot. Out with my wife and kid and at the park. Close ups of details at a car show (think hood ornament), I think I also wanna try HDR photos (I know it takes special software and several pics).

Im not even gonna ask about filters yet...thats a little later.

Now typically when you buy one of these things at a retailer it comes with a 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Zoom Lens. I have heard of the Canon "nifty fifty"? What is that?

There are some great photographers on this site...any advice will be well respected.

Thank you!

[JohnC]

You'll want a wide zoom for close-ups of family and cars at shows. It will work great on landscape photos as well.

The key here is how fast the lens is and if you need fast. The F-3.5-5.6 is good for regular situations, but low light and action shots in not so good lighting will call for lenses of low F/#'s.

Say a lens with a 12-24m F/4 - It's a constant F/4 from 12mm wide to 24mm zoomed so on the wide end, it will let more light in than a F/3.5-5.6 lens. A lens like a 24-85mm F/3.5-5.6 would be at f/3.5 on the wide end and lets less light in on the long end at F/5.6. Then you have some lenses that may be like 10-20mm f/2.8 which would let the most light in on the long and wide end for low light situations and allow lower ISO setting for less noise distortion on top of it being easier to get good crisp stop action photos. Get it now?

The pro glass usually has better build quality (sealed for weather and tougher construction) on top of lower F/#’s for those situations listed above. The trade off is their cost.

A regular non-pro F/3.5-5.6 lens will get the job done nearly as well for regular situations at a more affordable price. They’re typically not sealed or built as tough.

Canon “L” glass is the good stuff if I’m correct. Nikon Gold Ring lenses are the pro of Nikon brand.

[JohnC]

Seems you have a few choices for the type of shots you want to make. Check to make sure as I don't know which lenses work on the XTi for sure:

EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM (http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=148&modelid=14907)

EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM (http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=148&modelid=10510)

EF 17-40mm f/4L USM (http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=148&modelid=8940)

[JohnC]

Eye these: http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ProductCatIndexAct&fcategoryid=149

And if you want real close up macro shots of car emblems, you might want to look at macro specific lenses (http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ProductCatIndexAct&fcategoryid=155) with close-up focal distances.

[Ghostrider]

Get UV filters for all lenses before you even take them out of the box.

UV lenses are cheap and have almost zero impact on most photos, but they serve as armor for the lense and take all the scratches, bumps and bangs. Much cheaper than replacing a scratched lens.

[Bob-E]

Budget? Godd luck on an XTi for $260. I'd be very scared of that. The nifty fifty is a great little lens that I own. It's a 50mm f1.8 and it sell new for about $70. It is cheaply made and focusses slow, but f1.8 for $70 is a no brainer.

[MikeW]

Budget? Godd luck on an XTi for $260. I'd be very scared of that. .

Ditto most Canon USA Xti's body only I see are $650 new and 450-500 range used.

Let me know where the $260 deal is :stare2:

[JohnC]

Get UV filters for all lenses before you even take them out of the box.

UV lenses are cheap and have almost zero impact on most photos, but they serve as armor for the lense and take all the scratches, bumps and bangs. Much cheaper than replacing a scratched lens.


I've had real back luck with those UV filters/protectors. I have found flaws in almost every one I've bought. These days I just shoot with no filter and the shade on. :)

[Bob-E]

I got some Kenko multi-coated UV and cir-polarising filter from ebay. The multi-coating is key. The quantaray ones that you buy at Wolf Camera are super-bunk.

[Ghostrider]

Only UVs I've had are Nikon and the older Soligors - no flaws, no worries... Of course, it's been a number of years since I've done anything close to serious shooting...

[Sean]

I picked up a UV lense and a polarizer for my camera and used it this past week. Im a newby to this, but I think some of the pics turned out well. Will post one later. (a pic)

Taken with a Fuji S5000 non SLR
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f283/Wastingtime42/DSCF5243.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f283/Wastingtime42/DSCF5259.jpg
Not to shabby? It was actually alot brighter outside than it looks.
Next im going to pic up maybe a orange filter for black and white photos.

[Ghostrider]

For you guys that have never done this kind of stuff, I'd recommend this as reading material. It really helps!

http://www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Photography-Field-Guide/dp/0792274989

And Monty, those are great pics, especially the second one. :up:

[Sean]

For you guys that have never done this kind of stuff, I'd recommend this as reading material. It really helps!

http://www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Photography-Field-Guide/dp/0792274989

And Monty, those are great pics, especially the second one. :up:

Thank ya. Im still trying to work on the lighting. its goin to take me time, and maybe a better camera. i took 150+ pics with in a 1/2 hr with the family and only a few i like. Heres some more that i think turned out well.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f283/Wastingtime42/DSCF5266.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f283/Wastingtime42/DSCF5273.jpg
Maybe its just my neice who loves the camera is the reason why I think they turned out so well.

[Ghostrider]

Very cool. Do you have any editing software? Looks like a few tweaks and those would be heart breakers!

Shooting "technically" good pics requires attention to F, exposure time, and ISO/ASA. Shooting "pleasing" pictures is a whole 'nother thing! :up:

[SleeperGT]

Ditto most Canon USA Xti's body only I see are $650 new and 450-500 range used.

Let me know where the $260 deal is :stare2:

http://www.expresscameras.com/prodetails.asp?prodid=620719

Price has gone up a little bit.

[Sean]

http://www.expresscameras.com/prodetails.asp?prodid=620719

Price has gone up a little bit.

Thats not bad, im gonna send the info on to family. My birthday is right around the corner. :x:

[Bob-E]

dont buy from them
http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Express_Cameras

[abailey362]

all I can say is wow.....I've never seen a website with that many bad (and almost identical) complaints against it.